Games Design (with integrated foundation year)

Have alternative qualifications or don't quite meet our entry criteria? No problem.

Whether it's Nintendo's Super Mario Bros, Ion Storm's Deus Ex, or Rockstar's GTA V, all successful games throughout each generation are built on good game and level design, story-telling, 2D and 3D modelling and texturing.

This is the games design course for you, made to enable you to get ready for a career in the multi-billion pound games industry. Spark your imagination and let that creativity run riot at our dedicated arts campus.

Course Overview

Turn your ideas into exciting new games. Seventy-five percent of your course is practical – designing, developing and creating new game experiences to create a portfolio for future employers.

This games design degree is all about the art and design work related to video games, creating storyboard concepts and turning them into playable prototypes. You’ll gain the skills to compete in this growing industry.

Industry-standard 3D and games engine software will help you develop essential skills including drawing, modelling, texturing and using the games engine. Our dedicated arts campus will allow you to mix with other creatives, allowing you to work on joint projects and develop your own network of creative practitioners.

On this course you will...
• Have access to dedicated Games Design labs with industry-standard software, providing a friendly, collegiate, and supportive environment.



• You learn games specific topics like drawing & concept art, character design, environment design, 3D modelling, texturing, level design, and game theory.



• Have the opportunity to take a range of trips outside of the lab to gain inspiration and improve creative thinking. In previous years they have included games expo – EGX and Develop: Brighton.



• Take part in our annual Game Jam that culminates in an award ceremony featuring Industry experts as judges and delivering a keynote lecture.



• Develop a wide range of transferable digital skills allowing you to take up a number of internships during your studies.

With campuses in the Lake District, Carlisle, Lancaster, Ambleside, Barrow, and London, you’ll be surrounded by natural beauty, supportive communities, and real opportunities.

With strong links to law firms, schools, NHS Trusts, creative agencies, and employers nationwide, we connect your learning directly to your future career.

Ranked the No. 1 university in the Northwest and in the Top 5 in the UK for Graduates into employment or further study within 15 months (97.5% of Graduates – Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2026), Cumbria is a university focused on your future from day one.